Rep. Sue Schafer Won't Seek Fourth Term

RELEASE: State Rep. Sue Schafer Retiring After Six Years, Will Not Seek 4^th Term

(Denver) State Representative Sue Schafer (D- Wheat Ridge) has announced she will retire from the legislature after having served six years.

“I have recently had to make a very difficult decision to not seek a fourth term due to many increasing family responsibilities. Serving the citizens of House District 24 has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life and I thank all the people who have supported me to work for the common good”, said Rep. Schafer.

Rep. Schafer stated she is very excited for the 2014 session and will serve until Jan. 7, 2015 after a new representative has been elected. Schafer said, “We elected officials say we must put families first and this has become increasingly difficult for me with family in New York City, Texas, and Colorado. I want to be available for future personal and family needs.”

Upcoming legislation of importance include flood and fire recovery, economic security for all Coloradans, stable funding for K-12 education, and more scholarships for students seeking higher education. Rep. Schafer will sponsor bills in 2014 to track and improve the effectiveness of early childhood education, end the waiting list for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and to establish a commission to study the reasons for the high rate (10%) of pre-mature births in Colorado.

Since 2009 Rep. Schafer has been the prime sponsor of important bills such as reducing bullying in the schools, stopping higher premiums on women for health insurance, legalizing civil unions, and requiring reporting of elder abuse.Rep. Schafer serves as Vice Chair of the House Health, Insurance and Environment Committee and as a member of the Public Health Care and Human Services Committee. She has won Legislator of the Year awards from the Economic Development Council of Colorado, the Developmental Disabilities Resource Center, the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce,  the Jefferson County Council on Aging, and the Health Champion Award from the Jefferson County Public Health Department.

Saying she will remain active in politics, Rep. Schafer explained she will mentor and coach new Democratic candidates, volunteer in a local non-profit and in the 2014 campaigns, and work to elect a strong US President in 2016.